Valley man, Robert Dewane, dead for six minutes thanks firefighters for saving his life

PHOENIX - Everyday the Phoenix Fire Department receives hundreds of lifesaving 911 calls.

"This is a call we actually remember pretty well," recalled Phoenix Firefighter Shannon Gorjanac.

On May 26, 2010, Robert Dewane was home with family when he began gasping for air and frantically made that call for help.

"Then I went into an asthma attack and from then on I blacked out," explained Dewane.

For six minutes Dewane had flat lined. He was dead on the floor when Phoenix firefighters from Engine 37 arrived. They sprang into action using an experimental tool called hypothermic treatment.

"After we got his heart rate back, we were able to give him cold fluids that helped his brain be preserved," explained Gorjanac.

For the next 11 days, Dewane remained in a coma, then, miraculously, he made a full recovery.
 
"I'm thankful I'm still here. I'm thankful they saved my life," said Dewane.

But his near-death experience wasn't enough to get his life on track.
   
Dewane continued battling drug and alcohol addiction until he was thrown in jail earlier this year and had time to reflect on the gift he had been given.    

"Everything's going great. I've been sober for 10 months, I found Christ in June of this year. I'm born again."
 
Dewane credits the Phoenix fire family for giving him a second chance at life. "They're saving lives every single day and just to recognize it and appreciate them for what they do," smiled Dewane.